Seeds of Friendship
by Lily Hanson
Summary: What goes on behind the scenes of a Ranger battle?
1. The Old Lab

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Cammy looked around the Dino Lab. She didn't often visit, but she knew it well enough to know something was different. She looked around the room skeptically, stopping when her gaze fell on Kendall.

"There's a lot more stuff here," she said. Kendall gave a little nod.

"Koda wanted me to move my office down here."

"This is already your office."

"It was my lab. Now it's my office and my lab."

"Why?"

"Koda wants to be able to keep an eye on me," Kendall explained. Cammy looked her up and down once then nodded her head.

"I don't blame him," she smirked. Kendall gave Cammy a quick glare before getting back to her work. Cammy, to keep herself busy until Kendall was done, decided she would have a look around the lab. She knew not to touch anything, and figured it would be okay just to peek. She found a few books, some of Kendall's research papers, prototypes for future weapons and upgrades, and empty chargers. All of which were expected to be lying around an office/lab. However, there was one thing that seemed out of place. When Cammy peeked inside a box, she noticed a broken piece of technology.

"What's this?" Cammy lifted the device, just to show Kendall. Kendall looked over, then dropped what she was doing and waved to Cammy to bring it over.

"That's our E-Tracer."

"A what?"

"Shelby and I came up with it together a while back," Kendall explained. "This was before you and I met."

"You and Shelby built something together?" Cammy gave the E-Tracer another look, "No wonder it's broken."

"It worked wonderfully," Kendall told her. "At least, it would have if I hadn't forgotten to encrypt the signal. It did help us find the AnkyloZord."

"The Zord with the ball on the end of its tail?"

"Yes, that one," Kendall nodded. "In fact, our search for the energems may have already been complete if the E-Tracer wasn't destroyed."

"Who destroyed it?"

"Well... Chase, technically."

"This sounds like it's more trouble than it's worth," Cammy said, looking down at the E-Tracer.

"Fury got his hands on it. Actually, he managed to get the coordinates to the Ptera Zord," Kendall said as the gears in her head started to spin. She made her way to her laptop, opening up a couple of files. Cammy brought the E-Tracer over as she watched.

"Fury has the Ptera Zord?"

"Not yet," Kendall shook her head. "Fury got away with the Charger, but there wasn't enough energy left inside to activate the battle mode."

"That's a good thing?"

"For now," Kendall nodded her head. "Fury also doesn't have the technology to charge it. That's all here."

"Here?" Cammy frowned. "In the museum? Where you work? Live? And sometimes sleep?

"Cammy, I'm in no danger here," Kendall assured her. "Fury and Sledge know this lab exists, but they don't know where it is."

"And you're sure only you have the technology to charge the... well, Chargers?" Cammy asked. Kendall nodded her head.

"I built them. I came up with them," Kendall nodded her head. "No one else on Earth knows how to charge them but me. Nowhere else has the technology required but right here."

"Promise?" Cammy asked, but Kendall hesitated. Cammy didn't like having to wait for an answer. She frowned deeply. "Kendall..."

"Well..."

"What?"

"There is one other lab... in town. In its current state, it couldn't charge a battery, never mind a Charger. However, if Fury finds it and gives it a couple of upgrades..."

Kendall picked up her Dino Com, "Rangers, get down to the lab immediately."

"Rangers?" Cammy frowned. "Like, time to get to work saving the world? With a broken leg? You promised you'd stay out of trouble, Kendall!"

"I'm staying in the lab," Kendall assured Cammy. "But the Rangers need to go out, before Fury realizes there's a lab that could further his search for the Ptera Zord."

"I thought he moved onto your purple Energem," Cammy asked. "Isn't he all about that, now?"

"That's lost," Kendall shook her head. "All he's got going for him now is the Gold Charger. We can't assume he won't, at some point, return to that."

-Dino-Charge-

"You think Fury might be trying to power up the Ptera Charger?" Tyler asked, looking to Kendall questioningly. It wasn't that he doubted Fury would ever try to give himself more power, and charging up the Ptera Charger meant he would have access to the PteraZord. If that happened, the Rangers were going to be in a lot of trouble. They all remembered the struggle they faced against the AnkyloZord as well as the PlesioZord. They didn't want to have to repeat that for a third time.

"He's just let an energem slip out of his grasp," Kendall nodded her head.

"Or so we hope," Shelby stated. "We don't exactly know what happened to the purple energem after you lost it. It could have vanished, or Sledge or Fury could have it."

"Considering the PlesioZord hasn't acted up again, I think we can consider the energem still lost," Kendall said. "So recently, the AnkyloZord, the gold energem and now the purple energem has eluded them. All Fury's got going for him now is the gold Charger."

"But can't charge charger," Koda pointed out. "Would need lab."

"There is one lab that Fury and Sledge would have access to," Kendall said as she brought up the map. "Before Keeper found me, he tried to search for the energems on his own. He had his own lab, much like this one."

"What happened to it?" Shelby asked. Kendall smirked.

"Keeper met me. I worked with him for a while in his lab, using his technology to try and locate an energem, but I was getting nowhere. In my own time, I developed the technology to create the Dino Chargers and we moved the lab here, under the museum."

Kendall pointed around the lab, showing the Rangers the technology they were already familiar with.

"I've made a few upgrades in that time," Kendall told them. "But, some of my old technology still rests in Keeper's old lab. It's all outdated now. There's no way to charge the Ptera Charger as is."

"But Fury and Sledge would have their own technology," Riley pointed out. "Logically, we'd have to assume they would work on a way to combine their technology with yours. They could potentially charge the Ptera Charger that way."

"Exactly," Kendall nodded her head. "So before Fury gets any ideas, I need the five of you to head to that lab. I'll send the coordinates through your Dino Coms. Grab all you can from the lab, and bring it here. If Fury can't charge the Ptera Charger, it's useless to him."

"And he won't be able to use the PteraZord against us," Riley said.

"Go on," Kendall told them. "I'll monitor things from here. Keep your eyes peeled, Rangers. There's no telling if Fury's caught onto this idea yet or not."

"Yeah," Cammy nodded, speaking up. "You guys go, and I'll make sure Kendall actually stays in the lab."

"We're trusting you, Cammy," Chase smiled, giving the little girl pat on the shoulder as he walked out.


	2. Cammy's Friends

Cammy wasn't normally in the Lab during Ranger battles. Usually, she was at home with her foster parents, her eyes glued to the TV. She would watch the Rangers fight monsters, with a sick feeling in her stomach. She had thrown up a couple of times while watching, something her parents chalked up to anxiety. Of course an eight year old would panic – monsters were attacking the city. No one felt safe.

But Cammy didn't panic for that reason. The monsters didn't scare her; it's what they could do.

Kendall was her best friend; her big sister. Cammy only needed to know Kendall was safe and sound and she would know everything would be okay. However, that didn't mean she didn't care for anyone else. She knew the Rangers' identities. She was friends with them, too.

Tyler: he was the leader, the red Ranger. He was always encouraging his team, pushing them to do their best and to never give up the fight. He was an amazing person, even without the spandex. He was fun, and always looking on the bright side of things. Cammy loved when he was working in the cafe and she stopped by because he would always find a way to make her smile, even if it wasn't his intention. He was something of a big brother to her – or at least, what she always imagined having a big brother would be like.

Koda: Cammy _loved_ Koda. He was big, he was strong, and he could scare the pants off anyone who so much as looked at him or his friends the wrong way. Yet, Cammy knew he was just a gentle giant. He loved to play around, especially with her, and enjoyed being with his friends. But most of all, Cammy felt completely safe around Koda. She trusted the blue Ranger could protect her and that he always had her best interest at heart. Not to mention, he was fiercely protective of Kendall, which for Cammy was a good thing. So was she. However, a little girl standing up to bullies or monsters was nowhere near as scary as when a caveman did it.

Shelby: Cammy liked Shelby. The pink Ranger grated on Kendall's nerves, but she was a good friend to the little girl – namely because she was a girl. When the boys were messing around and just being boys, Cammy knew she could just give Shelby a look and the pink Ranger would know exactly what she meant: boys were stupid. And it felt nice having a natural bond like that with someone. Cammy had something similar with Kendall, but where Kendall was more of an authority figure, even as a big sister, Shelby was just a friend. Someone Cammy knew she could play around with and vent to on hard days. Also, Shelby knew a lot about dinosaurs, and was eager to pass on her knowledge to whoever listened. Cammy was still learning about the big reptiles and so was always happy to hear what Shelby had to say.

Then, Riley: Cammy also liked Riley. He was logical and realistic. Cammy was eight years old, but she didn't believe in fairy tales or princesses or magic. She had had those fantasies kicked out of her at a young age by her mother's drunken honesty, and again when her life spiraled after her mother's death. Life wasn't beautiful with flowers and rainbows, and unicorns were just imaginary creatures. Good little girls didn't grow up to be princesses – you had to be born into the royal family – and even then, you had to be born at the right time, in the right order. And life wasn't always going to have a happily ever after. Sometimes, it sucked – beginning, middle, and end. Riley was very much the same. He was a logical thinker. Everything he believed in needed to have a reason for being, or an explanation as to why such events had occurred. So sometimes, when Cammy was having a hard day, Riley would give her a little bout of medicine. It was hard to swallow, but it always made sense. Cammy could appreciate that – at least Riley was being honest. At least she knew he wouldn't sugar coat anything for her.

Finally, there was Chase. Cammy probably loved Chase the most. Even she didn't know why. His accent made him different from the others. Sometimes Cammy laughed at how he pronounced certain words, or the expressions he would use. Then again, Koda was the same way. He had a bit of an accent, he would pronounce words funny, and he had some very strange expressions. Chase was nice, and he liked to goof around, but so would Tyler. And he didn't know as much about dinosaurs as Shelby, nor was he much of a logical thinker like Riley. Yet, Cammy felt a close bond to Chase. She cared for him, she trusted him; she felt safe just knowing that he cared for her too. Even when he let her hit her head at the skate park, Cammy hadn't been mad at him. She knew that hadn't been his intention. She knew he'd feel bad for letting it happen. She felt for Chase almost like she did for Kendall. There was a bond there, one that couldn't be explained, but also, Cammy didn't think she'd want to live without. In Kendall's absence, Chase was her rock. Everyone would take care of her, but Chase especially. Cammy loved and trusted Chase especially.

So seeing them on TV, fighting monsters, knowing it was real, and knowing the risk of them getting hurt or dying made Cammy sick. She liked them all. She couldn't imagine losing any of her friends.

Watching them from the Dino Lab, being behind the scenes for a mission: Cammy wasn't sure if she felt more reassured that everything would turn out, or if she was more scared.

Kendall: the brains behind the Dino Charge. She was the scientist, the energem expert, the mentor, the weapon creator, the upgrade inventor, the everything, really. Without Kendall, there would be no Rangers – at least, in Cammy's eyes. But when Cammy watched the Rangers on TV, everything looked better because she knew, behind the scenes, Kendall was guiding the Rangers. She was telling them what they needed to do, helping them formulate plans mid-battle to defeat the monsters. And she was always coming up with new weapons and upgrades just in time. On TV, everything looked flawless.

It was almost like the Rangers were guaranteed a happy ending.

Behind the scenes, it was much different. Kendall was fighting just as hard as the Rangers, tracking their vital signs, redirecting energy, monitoring the city for anymore signs of monsters, or Sledge or Fury or Poisandra. She was rushing around the lab, like crazy, even with her broken leg, doing everything possible just to give the Rangers their best chance.

Their best chance – not even a guarantee they would make it out alive. After all, just like the Rangers, Kendall was only human. She made mistakes. Any mistake could be costly.

"What?" Kendall suddenly asked, smacking her laptop hard. "Rangers? Tyler? Koda? Chase? Anyone, are you there?"

Cammy felt that pit in her stomach grow as she watched. Everything had been fine one minute, then a monster turned up, now this?

"What's going on?" Cammy asked. Kendall shook her head.

"I... I wish I knew," she said. Cammy saw fear in Kendall's eyes. True fear. Fear and helplessness.

"What does that mean?" Cammy asked.

"The Rangers, they're gone," Kendall said. There's no signal, no communication, I can't forward any energy to their suits. I... It's like they just vanished."

"Vanished?"

"Gone," Kendall nodded. "Here one minute, then..."

"Poof?" Cammy asked. She got up from her chair and walked over, checking the screens, though she had no idea how to decipher anything. "But they can't poof? People can't just poof. Bring them back!"

"I... I can't," Kendall shook her head. "I can try to reach them, but... Cammy, they're gone."

"But they'll come back, right?" Cammy asked. "I mean, they didn't die, did they?"

"No..." Kendall took her glasses off. Cammy looked up and saw her wipe away a few tears, then noticed the glasses were shaking in Kendall's hand. "Not as far as I know," Kendall told her. "But right now, they're all alone. I can't help them."

"So, are they going to be okay?" Cammy asked. "They can figure this out, right?"

"I... I hope so," Kendall nodded. She got off her chair, then asked Cammy to take over. "I'm just... I've just got to run out for a minute."

"You need to stay in the lab!" Cammy warned her.

"I'm not leaving," Kendall said. "I promise. I just, I need a minute, Cammy. You stay here, alright. If the Rangers figure this out themselves, they'll pop up on the screen. You call me, you got it?"

"Yeah," Cammy nodded worriedly, then watched Kendall go off into Koda's cave. Cammy watched the blank screen, called for her friends once, but felt completely helpless. There was nothing she could do. So she hopped off Kendall's chair and followed her into the caves. She moved quietly, and luckily she did. When she turned the corner, she spotted Kendall, but was very sure she was seeing something Kendall didn't want her to see.

Kendall was limping back and forth in Koda's sleeping chamber. She was rubbing her eyes and trying to keep her breathing steady and her hands were shaking. And she was muttering something. Cammy couldn't quite make it out, but from the pieces she could understand, she figure out Kendall was muttering about the Rangers: hoping they were safe and kicking her own butt that there was nothing she could do to help them.

Cammy walked back to the lab, sat in Kendall's chair and looked at the screen. She waited for her friends to come back, but occasionally glanced down into the caves.

The Rangers weren't just her friends – they were Kendall's friends too. And just like her, Cammy knew Kendall couldn't imagine what she would do if anything happened to them.

"Come on, guys," Cammy whispered.


	3. More Power

Cammy sat in Kendall's desk chair. On any other day, she would have enjoyed herself. She wasn't allowed to touch any of Kendall's equipment, but she liked to play around the lab, pretending she was part of the Ranger team. While she often pretended to be an actual Ranger, sometimes, she liked to pretend she was Kendall, and that she was coming up with weapons and ideas that helped the Rangers save the day.

But today was not a day for playing around. Since the purple energem had been lost, the Rangers figured Fury would turn his focus back to the gold Energem. He already had the Ptera Charger, which meant he was already one step ahead of the Rangers. The only thing that kept him from finding the energem and the Zord was the fact that the Charger he had lacked energy. Only Kendall's lab had the power and technology necessary to charge the Dino Chargers, but Kendall had pointed out that she and Keeper used to work in another lab, and though the technology there was useless in its current condition, Fury would potentially be able to give it some upgrades. To stop him, and the protect the location of the PteraZord, the Rangers needed to check out the lab and bring back as much of the equipment as they could find, before Fury got any ideas.

Luck wasn't on their side. The Rangers had hoped to get there before Fury, but it seemed he had the same idea. Kendall had planned on monitoring the Rangers, but all their signals disappeared at once. She couldn't do anything for them and it freaked her out. Cammy found out just how much when she followed Kendall into Koda's caves and caught the older woman mid panic attack.

"Those Rangers better be alive," Cammy muttered and stared at the blank screen, waiting for any news on her friends. "Because when they come back, I have to kick their bums for making Kendall scared like that."

"No news?"

Cammy practically jumped out of her seat when she heard Kendall's voice. She turned around then shook her head.

"No, not yet. But maybe soon."

Kendall made her way over to the computer and ran another test. Cammy watched, hoping the test would find something. She needed her friends to be okay. Kendall needed the Rangers to be okay. Just as Cammy was about to give up hope that the Rangers would be back soon, she saw something different on the screen. She looked to Kendall and noticed she seemed intrigued as well.

"That's Riley!" Kendall called out and immediately reached for her head piece while scooting Cammy out of her chair. Cammy stood up and watched as Kendall called for Riley.

"Riley, what's been going on? I haven't been able to contact any of the other Rangers!"

"Okay, I found the Ptera Charger," Riley answered, "but Fury has it."

Cammy gasped, earning herself a look from Kendall. "Sorry. I'm not used to this yet."

Kendall shook her head then turned back to Riley, who continued, "The Charger is full of power."

Kendall gulped, taking a minute to think. This is what she had been trying to prevent. A full Charger in the hands of Fury was a bad, bad thing. He would have access to the PteraZord and he would be one step closer to finding the Gold Energem.

"You've got to get that Charger," she told Riley.

"But the others are trapped," Riley said, "I have to..."

"Riley, you may not get another chance. We need to stop Fury. If he gets the PteraZord, it might not matter what happens to the others."

"But Ms. Morgan..." Riley was about to argue, but stopped and looked over his shoulder. Kendall and Cammy could hear Fury's voice in the background.

"Time for me to get the PteraZord..."

"Riley," Kendall called, but Riley wouldn't answer and instead he shut off his communicator. Kendall shook her head, ripping her head piece out of her ear as she grabbed her crutches; Cammy stopped her, taking one before Kendall could reach it.

"What are you doing now?"

"I need to go there, Cammy..."

"You're staying in the lab," Cammy shook her head. Kendall sighed.

"Fury's got a full Charger."

"Yeah, and Riley's smart," Cammy pointed out. "He knows that. He'll stop Fury. The good guys always stop the bad guys, right?"

"Cammy, this isn't a movie."

"Yeah, but..."

"Besides, if Riley does go after the Charger, then the others are still in trouble. There's no signal, Riley says they're trapped. I need to help them. I need to do something. I can't just..."

"Riley's going to do the right thing," Cammy assured her. She grabbed Kendall's crutch, ripped out from under her arm and then pushed the two as far away as she could before she glared up at Kendall. "You need to stay where it's safe. Where you're not going to die. You promised you weren't going to die."

"I can't do nothing, Cammy. The Rangers, I..."

"I'm scared too," Cammy said. "But fighting Fury didn't work out for you last time, and the Rangers are... well, Power Rangers! They'll get themselves out of trouble. You need to believe in them."

"But Cammy, if anything happens to them, and I didn't do everything I could..."

"If anything happens to you, who's going to find the energems?" Cammy pointed out. "Who will stop Fury and Sledge from getting the gold, the aqua, purple, silver or graphite energems?"

Kendall sat back down in her chair and put her head in her hands. Cammy stood next to her and put her hand on her back.

"What if you did do something?" Cammy asked. "Riley's going to do the right thing, but in case Fury gets the PteraZord, the Rangers are going to need help, right?"

Kendall looked up. Cammy shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know what you could do," she said. "But if the Rangers had more power, maybe then Fury getting the Ptera Zord won't be so bad? Then Riley can save the others."

"What do you mean?" Kendall asked.

"More power. Like a new weapon or a way to fight the PteraZord."

"More power?"

Cammy noticed a look on Kendall's face, one she got when there was an idea going through her head. "There is an idea I've been playing with."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure yet," Kendall shrugged her shoulder as she got out of her chair and limped to her work station. Cammy followed, watching curiously. "I haven't worked out the details of it yet. But if what I have in mind works, I can give the Rangers more power. Fury might get the PteraZord, but we'll still be able to hold him off, just like we do now."

"So, you've got a plan?"

"I do," Kendall nodded and smiled at Cammy, "You just need to hope the Rangers figure out how to get out of this mess. When the team comes back, whether we have the Ptera Charger or not, we'll be in good shape."

"So, win-win?"

"As long as the team comes back," Kendall said. "That's our priority right now. Do me a favour and get Riley back on the line. Tell him to get the Ptera Charger only if he has a chance. The Rangers need to come first."

Cammy nodded her head and rushed back to the laptop. She tried to reach Riley, but he wouldn't answer his communicator. Cammy sighed.

"Aw, man. Come on, Riley, do the right thing."


	4. Kendall Cares

"I was so close to getting the Ptera Charger," Riley sighed as he sat at the table in the Lab with Cammy. "I just, I wish I could have stopped Fury."

"But you saved your friends," Cammy smiled, watching as the other Rangers came down to the lab holding a couple boxes of pizza. "And Kendall's going to come up with a way to fight the PteraZord. It's going to be okay."

"Cammy, you don't get it. I almost had it. If I hadn't of let Fury get away, Ms. Morgan wouldn't need to do any of this. We would have another Zord. We would have more Power. Fury and Sledge wouldn't know what hit them."

"Yeah, but we'd be down four Rangers," Tyler pointed out as he took the spot next to Riley. The Rangers all crowded around the table; ready to eat after a long battle.

"Yeah, we're only out of that maze thanks to you," Shelby added. "My toes are still frozen. If you had chosen Fury over us, all of me would be a popsicle."

"Save tribe," Koda stated. "Act with heart. Always good."

"Especially since I'm in that tribe," Chase smirked, causing Shelby to roll her eyes and Tyler to laugh. Riley sighed.

"Ms. Morgan's probably pissed I'm making her work," he said. "Her instructions were clear: get the Charger."

"Ms. Morgan's always going to put the Energems first," Shelby said. "But we're a team. We have to do what's best for each other."

"That's not exactly fair," Chase frowned and shook his head. "Kendall didn't know what kind of trouble we were in exactly..."

"Do you think she really cared?" Shelby asked. "It's her job to get the energems, to protect them. We're just..."

Shelby gasped as a piece of pepperoni hit her in the face. She turned to Chase, believing it was just him messing around as usual, but then noticed Cammy on his lap, her arms crossed and a deep frown on her face. Shelby sighed.

"I don't mean this in a bad way," she explained. "Ms. Morgan's got her job. That's fine. We need her to think about the energems and stuff. But Riley made a good call ignoring hers."

"Kendall cares."

"Well, yeah. Where is she going to find other Rangers?"

"Kendall cares," Cammy repeated.

"Cammy, she chose the Charger over us..."

"No, she asked Riley to get the Charger," Cammy said. "I was here. I know what happened."

"What happened?" Tyler asked. Cammy turned to him.

"Kendall asked Riley to get the Charger. Then, you hung up on her. You know, she had already been freaking out. That didn't help."

"Fury was..."

"We couldn't talk to you guys forever," Cammy said. "Kendall needed to take a break and... she got scared."

"Kendall scared?" Koda asked. "Who scare Kendall?"

"You did! All of you. You freaked her out! She was worried. So you can't say she'll pick the energems first."

"But she did."

"She asked Riley to. But she wasn't going to leave you guys," Cammy said. "I had to stop her going in to save you guys. She was just going to walk out of here and rescue you, or stop Fury, or whatever Riley wasn't going to do. She would do it!"

"But she's got a broken leg," Riley frowned.

"And she's not a Ranger," Tyler added.

"Try telling her that," Cammy huffed. "She almost didn't listen to me. I had to give her the idea to make a new weapon so she would sit still."

"You gave her that idea?"

"I told her if Fury got the PteraZord, you'd need help," Cammy nodded. "She came up with something, and then told me to try and call Riley to tell him to forget the Charger."

"She said that?" Shelby asked. Koda looked to her with a frown.

"Kendall smart. Come up with good plans."

"Well, yeah, but... She was okay with Fury getting the PteraZord."

"She wanted Riley to save you, so we could save the PteraZord later with her new weapon," Cammy insisted. "Kendall was always going to help you guys out. She just... she doesn't talk about it."

"What do you mean?" Chase asked. Cammy shrugged her shoulders.

"She doesn't like telling people she cares," Cammy said. "I mean, she tells me all the time, but anyone else... I think it scares her. You guys didn't see her when your signals disappeared. She freaked out!"

"Freak out how?" Koda asked. Cammy shrugged again.

"I don't know. She didn't want me to see. I followed her and she didn't know, but when I saw... I just, I let her be alone. But she stayed alone for a long time and... it's just..."

Cammy looked to the Rangers, "You're my friends. I mean, you're all old, but you're fun. I was scared something was going to happen to you when we couldn't talk. But you're also Kendall's friends too."

"Ms. Morgan considers us friends?"

"Well, you're not strangers," Cammy said.

"Kendall is my friend," Koda told Cammy. "Kendall best friend."

"I was mostly talking to them," Cammy pointed across the table, to Tyler, Shelby, and Riley. Tyler leaned in closer to Cammy, with a little smile.

"I like Ms. Morgan," he said. "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to her. And I trust her. And if you say she wasn't going to leave us to freeze to death in that puzzle, I believe you."

"You do?" Cammy smiled. She turned to Riley, "You believe me too, right?"

"She did look worried when she called me," he said. "And, we do spend a lot of time with each other. Logically, there would be some kind of relationship between us."

"Can we not talk about logic?" Chase sighed. "I'd really rather not think about logic, puzzles, or the cold for a really long time."

"What about you?" Cammy asked, looking to Shelby. "Can you and Kendall be friends?"

"Ms. Morgan doesn't like me," Shelby shook her head.

"She doesn't like how you annoy her," Cammy said. "Oh, Ms. Morgan, can I go on this dig? Oh, Ms. Morgan, I know so much about dinosaurs, watch me show off."

"Oh, this is perfect," Chase chuckled as he listened to Cammy's impersonation of Shelby. Shelby huffed.

"I don't sound like that."

"Oh, Ms. Morgan," Shelby continued. "I know you have a Master's and you've spent your whole life reading, learning and studying dinosaurs and everything, but I think I'm just as smart as you because I like triceratops."

"She does a perfect you," Tyler laughed, stopping only when he saw the glare Shelby was pointing his way. "I mean, not exactly like you, but..."

"Oh, Ms. Morgan, please, please, please, just give me everything I want because I'm asking for it. Oh, please, please, please..."

"Okay, I get it," Shelby interrupted. "I'm a little enthusiastic."

"A little?" Chase laughed, earning kick in the leg from Riley.

"Kendall likes you," Cammy said to Shelby. "You know, you can't just expect to have things handed to you. If you want something, bad, you have to earn it."

"Cammy, that's really impressive," Riley said. "You thought of that by yourself?"

"I'm smarter than I look," Cammy nodded, then sighed and reached to her bag by the table. "Also, that's what my teacher told me when I failed my spelling test."

"You failed a spelling test?" Tyler asked. "But I've seen you writing. You're a natural."

"I didn't study this time. I thought I'd be fine," Cammy muttered. She showed the test to the Rangers. They started to laugh.

"You misspelled dinosaur?" Shelby asked. "Reptile?"

"This was a really hard test! Most kids failed," Cammy said.

"You practically live in a dinosaur museum," Tyler pointed out. "You see these words every day. Ms. Morgan didn't help you study?"

"I didn't think I had to," Cammy muttered.

"Alright," Shelby handed Cammy back her spelling test, "You learn how to spell dinosaur, and I'll cool it a bit with my requests to Ms. Morgan. But she does underestimate me, you know."

"But she's your friend? You believe me, right? She wasn't going to leave you to die."

"I guess it doesn't sound like something she would do," Shelby nodded her head. She reached for another slice of pizza. "So, hey, is that really what I sound like? I'm not really that annoying, am I?"

"Oh, Ms. Morgan, you _have_ to come and see this idea I have for the next dig. It's _super_ important and it's _bound_ to convince you to let me come next time," Cammy mimicked. Shelby crossed her arms over her chest.

"It was important," she said. "Work smarter, not harder. My idea was genius."


	5. Logical Minds

The following day, Riley was early for his shift at the museum, but he hadn't gotten much sleep and figured he might as well get his day started. It was better than wasting time laying in bed. Since he had let Fury get away with the Ptera Charger, the least he could do was help Kendall with the solution. He doubted she really needed a hand, but he figured he would offer, just in case there was something he could do.

"Ms. Morgan?" he called as he got to the lab. He saw her on her feet at the work bench. He sighed, grabbed her desk chair and rolled it over. "You've got to stay off that foot if you want it to heal."

"It's healing fine, Riley," Kendall assured him, then checked her watch, "You're early."

"I couldn't sleep," Riley looked around at the various tools on the table. He knew what many of them were, but some left him scratching his head. In fact, most of Kendall's technology baffled him. It was far more advanced than anything he had ever seen, and since nearly everything in the lab had been built or designed by her, it was all original. There was no way for Riley to learn anything about the machines unless he asked Kendall. But he wasn't here to talk about her technology, or how she came up with everything he and the Rangers used. "It's about the Ptera Charger. How I... let it go."

"It's fine that you did," Kendall told him. "Cammy gave me a great idea for what to do next. It'll really give you and the Rangers the extra strength you need."

"The others tell me what I did was the right thing. I even talked to Keeper last night before heading home. He told me the logical decision isn't always right."

Kendall put her tools down and looked to Riley. He nodded his head.

"I know, right. A little confusing."

"I guess it makes sense," Kendall said. "Logically, going after the Ptera Charger would have been the best decision. It's the one I initially made for you. It's the decision you seem to believe was best."

"Yeah, but was it?" Riley asked. "I mean, I tossed and turned over this all night. I chose the guys over the Ptera Chargers. They all tell me I saved their lives, and that's a good thing, right?"

"It's a positive outcome," Kendall agreed.

"But, I let Fury get the Ptera Charger. Now he knows how to charge it and he's got the PteraZord. He could kill hundreds of people with that kind of power. I saved my friends, but at what cost?"

Riley picked up the empty Charger on Kendall's table and looked to it, "The only reason this worked out well is because you think you've got something that'll help us fight Fury. If you couldn't come up with something, I would be the reason hundreds, maybe thousands of people died. I would have made the wrong choice. Logically, protecting an entire city from death has to trump saving my friends, right?"

"Yes," Kendall nodded her head. "Saving thousands of lives is more logical than saving four. You're right."

"So I made the wrong decision?"

"But that's the choice you were given," Kendall said. "Save your friends, or get the Ptera Charger. That's the position you were in. Those were your options."

"And I was wrong."

Kendall shook her head, "You saved four lives today, Riley. Chase, Koda, Tyler, Shelby, they're all alive today thanks to you. They're still Rangers because of the decision you made. When Fury attacks again, with or without the PteraZord, he'll have to go through five Rangers before he can attack the city."

"But if I had gotten the Ptera Charger..."

"Fury wouldn't have the PteraZord, you're right," Kendall said. "But there also wouldn't be five Rangers to stop him from trying again. There would be one. You."

"But he wouldn't have the PteraZord."

"Would he need it?" Kendall asked. "If there was only one Ranger to fight, would Fury really need the PteraZord? You're an amazing Ranger, Riley, but you couldn't stop Fury on your own. No one could. I'm proof of that."

Kendall pointed to her leg then looked up at Riley, "As long as we have five Rangers, Fury needs the PteraZord. And while it makes this battle a little harder for us, it's not something we can't overcome. Your team was in immediate danger. The city still has hope. While, logically, protecting the city, the Zords and the energem is more important than four lives, practically, you need your team. You made the right call."

"So, Keeper was right. The logical decision..."

"Isn't always the right decision," Kendall nodded her head. "If you would like another example, take destroying the PlesioZord. Logically, that was stupid. But we'll adapt. We'll find the energem again; we'll get the PlesioZord back in some way. Protecting the city, that was more important. That was the right decision."

"I'll try to remember that," Riley said. "Thanks, Ms. Morgan. That really helped."

"That's what I'm here for," Kendall answered. "Well, that and finding a way to stop Fury and Sledge."

"You know, it'd be nice to hear your opinion about this stuff a little more," Riley said. Kendall looked up curiously.

"I don't think I've been shy when it comes to voicing my opinion about your Ranger duties."

"That, no," Riley chuckled and shook his head. "But, like, this stuff. The part about being a Ranger that's a lot more personal. You really helped me."

"You're easy," Kendall said. "You think the most like me."

"I do?"

"You think about the facts, about what makes sense. You look at what's worked in the past and stick with that. You make adjustments where necessary and spend hours studying the different options."

"Yeah, the others are a little more: go with the flow," Riley chuckled. "It took me a while to get used to that."

"It's still taking me time," Kendall said. "When the others are in crisis, I don't know where to begin."

"Well, what does Chase do for you?"

"Excuse me?" Kendall frowned. Riley took a step back.

"I just... it's just that, when you're in crisis, Chase knows how to help you. And he's probably the most relax person we both know."

"And what's your point?"

"Well, if you don't understand him, because his brain works differently from yours, how do you think he feels about you?"

"I..."

"You know, Ms. Morgan, sometimes, being different is the best thing you can do to help a person," Riley told her. "Consider it a new perspective."

"I guess I never thought of it that way."

"So, don't be shy about chiming in on the more personal stuff. Also, it'd be really nice to have some backup in the logic department," Riley chuckled, then gestured up to the museum, "Sometimes, I'm not sure Koda's the only primitive human around."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Riley."

"Thank _you,_ uh... Kendall."

"It's Ms. Morgan."

"Yeah," Riley nodded his head. "Saw that coming."


End file.
